This undated publicity film image provided by Focus Features shows Rosemarie DeWitt, left, as Alice and Matt Damon, as Steve, in Gus Van Sant's contemporary drama, "Promised Land," a Focus Features release.

Story gets lost in 'Promised Land'

By Tim Miller

tmiller@capecodonline.com

January 04, 2013 - 12:28 PM

You'd think Matt Damon and director Gus van Sant, who gave us “Good Will Hunting,” could come up with something a little better than “Promised Land.”

Especially when they're working with a cast that includes John Krasinski (who co-wrote the screenplay with Damon), Frances McDormand, Hal Holbrook and Rosemarie DeWitt.

The film's intention, it seems, is to pack an emotional punch while dealing earnestly with an important environmental issue. Instead, it comes across as a forced blend of mainstream entertainment and message movie. It's a mess.

Damon plays Steve Butler, a rising star at a natural-gas company. For his latest assignment, Steve and sales partner Sue Thomason (McDormand) travel to a rural town to get its farmers to sign an agreement allowing the corporation to drill for natural gas on their land. The process involves “fracking” – injecting chemicals into the ground in order to break rocks and release the natural gas below.

Steve and Sue's challenge is to save the corporation as much money in the negotiations while still convincing all concerned to sign on the dotted line. During an open public meeting on the subject, a brainy elderly teacher (Holbrook) argues that fracking can destroy land and kill livestock, and outside environmentalist Dustin Noble (Krasinski) later shows up in town for a more aggressive anti-fracking campaign.

Steve and Sue are in trouble, but they still hope that farmers will go for their big payoff now despite whatever risks there may be for the future. Steve argues that, given the economy, this is their big chance to help themselves – and it seems like he actually believes this.

Or does he?

Meanwhile, Steve finds himself competing with Dustin for the attentions of an attractive local teacher, Alice (DeWitt) – providing a little (contrived) romance when the film isn't dealing with environmental issues.

Predictably, though with a twist involved, this all leads to a crisis of conscience for our hero – though not until very close to the end. Before then, Steve gets angry and anxious when things aren't going his way – when Dustin one-ups him regarding the contracts or Alice.

It really has nothing to do with any sense of morality – that comes only for the convenience of wrapping up this tale. And even when, finally, Steve apparently sees the light (at least from one point of view), it's not very convincing. It's almost as if he'd just like to forget the whole thing – and, by this point, we would, too.